Learn how to make a movie: Michigan Film Festival announces details of Live! Production Workshop

November 11, 2010

Workshop will take participants through process of making a movie; to be held in conjunction with the 2nd annual Michigan Film Festival, Nov. 12-14, in downtown Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Nov. 4, 2010 – Ever wanted to make a movie or just see how it’s done? The Michigan Film Festival (MFF) today announced the details of its Live! Production Workshop – an opportunity to work (or watch) alongside film industry professionals in the creation of a short film.

The free workshop is part of the 2nd annual Michigan Film Festival this Nov. 12-14 in downtown Grand Rapids. From crafting a short script to shooting the film to editing, the aspects of filmmaking will be covered over three days. Participants are welcome to take part in as little or as much as their schedule allows.

Taking off on the popularity of such crime-investigation shows as CSI, this year’s production workshop involves an “aftermath scenario” based on one of the most famous movie crime scenes of all time: when Michael Corleone kills Sollozzo in The Godfather.

“We chose this scene as the basis for our production workshop because it’s from a well- known film, and the scene of the killings was never investigated in the story, so we can have some fun with that,” Production Workshop Coordinator Girbe Eefsting said.

A quick glance at the three-day Production Workshop:  The event starts with a Friday night screenwriting workshop at UICA led by
University of Michigan professor and screenwriter Veerendra Prasad  The workshop continues Saturday at UICA with live demonstrations, including:

• Setting up a crime scene with local forensics expert Cindy Zastrow
• Designing and building a set with production designer John Despres (The Steam
  Experiment) and lighting expert Dave Lowing of Lowing Lighting & Grip
• Applying special effects makeup
• Filming under the direction of GVSU Film School professor John Harper Philbin and cinematographer Darius Mathis

The workshop wraps up on Sunday at GVSU’s Pew Campus Loosemore Auditorium with screenings of the finished product and a discussion with the cast and crew
“I am thrilled we’ve got these amazing filmmaking experts taking part in this year’s workshop. These working professionals are proof of the strong filmmaking infrastructure that exists right here in Michigan. For anyone who’s been the slightest bit curious about how a film is made, this is your chance to learn from the best,” Michigan Film Festival Co-Founder/Director Jen Pider said.

In addition to the Live! Production Workshop, the Michigan Film Festival features a weekend of free films and other educational programming at venues throughout downtown Grand Rapids. (Download the full schedule here: http://michiganfilmfest.org/schedule.php.)

Opening night includes the screening of Bilal’s Stand, a movie based on a true story and filmed on location in Detroit, as well as a free party with cash bar at UICA hosted by Stephanie Webb of WZZM-TV13’s Take Five and Grand Rapids Press Entertainment Reporter John Serba. A closing party at the JW Marriott Mixology Lounge on Sunday, Nov. 14, concludes the free weekend-long festival.

For those who are coming in from out of town – or for West Michiganders who want to make a weekend of the event – the Michigan Film Festival has worked out arrangements with partnering hotels for lodging discounts.



Main press contact:
Molly Klimas
Intent Public Relations
616-443-4647
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Secondary contact/MFF spokesperson:
Jen Pider
Pider Enterprises
616-717-0048
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Additional media contacts:
For questions specific to GRAM, please contact Kerri VanderHoff, 616-831-2914
For questions specific to UICA, please contact Phil Meade, 616-454-7000 x19
For questions specific to GVSU and its film program, please contact John Philbin, 616-331-3668
For questions specific to ACTIVESITE, please contact Todd Ernst, 616-805-9240

About the Michigan Film Festival
The mission of the Michigan Film Festival is to promote the Michigan perspective in film along with the Michigan filmmaking community by sustaining an event that includes educational workshops, panel discussions and lectures; exhibition venues displaying recently crafted Michigan-made works; and partnerships between local entities involved in supporting the Michigan film industry.

Michigan Film Festival is organized by Pider Enterprises in partnership with GRAM, UICA, GVSU, ACTIVESITE and WMFVA. MFF Co-Founders: Jen Pider, Kerri VanderHoff, Chuck Peterson, Josh Depenbrok, Phil Meade, Matt Fulk and Justin Godley

Collaborators: GRNow, IntentPR, MP Talent, Clark Hill, Citizen Shirt, Gorilla Pictures, Film Farm, Compass Film Academy, Spam Bully, Spearia, Emily Guy Studio, iamjef
Venue Sponsors: YoChef’s Catering, What the Truck Panel/Workshop Sponsors: Meijer, Downtown Alliance, Showbiz Software Store, Kent Beverage, Goodrich Quality Theatres Screening Sponsors: MCA-I, Michigan Film Office, Mindscape, Bob Schellenberg, Kahn & Company, PLC, DVS, Screaming Gnat Music Supervisors’ Showcase Sponsor: Advanced Media Copies LLC Michigan Film Festival Student Award Sponsor: Clark Communications